BEIJING: China made it clear to Washington on Monday that it would not tolerate any activity aimed at dividing the country and would take “necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty, President Joe Biden said again as US military The democratic and self-governing island will defend itself if Beijing tries to invade it.
Asked whether “American forces, American men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion,” Biden said “yes” during a TV interview on Sunday.
Taiwan is a self-governing island off the coast of East China that Beijing claims as part of its territory. The US has always exercised diplomatic strictness on sensitive issues in bilateral relations.
The White House has been quick to downplay Biden’s previous comments on Taiwan, reiterating that US policy has not changed.
It is the second time since May this year that Biden has responded positively to questions about US military intervention to defend Taiwan’s independence, adding a military dimension to Washington’s Taiwan policy, worrying Beijing.
While visiting Japan in May, Biden said that the US would stand with Japan and other countries not to allow China to forcibly occupy Taiwan.
Asked at a news conference in Tokyo whether the US was ready to engage militarily to defend Taiwan, Biden said “yes.”
“That’s the commitment we’ve made. Here’s the situation: We agree to the One China policy. We’ve signed all of the supporting agreements we’ve made on it and from there.
“But the idea that it can be taken by force is not justified, it will displace the whole region and there will be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine. Therefore, it is a burden that is even stronger,” he said. Comparing Taiwan, it is a case of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Responding to Biden’s interview with CBS News, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on Monday that the US leader’s remarks seriously violated the “one China” policy and three joint communiqués related to Taiwan.
Mao said Biden’s remarks seriously breached the US commitment not to support Taiwan independence and sent a false signal to Taiwan’s independence forces.
“China condemns this and strongly opposes it, and we have made several representations to the US,” he said.
“There is only one China and Taiwan is part of it, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government is the only government representing the whole of China,” Mao said.
He said that achieving complete unification of the motherland is the common aspiration and sacred duty of all Chinese people.
Mao said, “We will strive for the possibility of peaceful reunification with all sincerity and effort. In the meantime, we will not tolerate any activity aimed at dividing China and we reserve all options to take the necessary measures.” ”
“No one should underestimate our resolve, will and ability to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity. They should not stand on the opposite side of the 1.4 billion Chinese people,” he said.
“We urge the United States to fully understand the extremely important and highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan question and to adhere to the ‘One China’ principle and the three joint communiqués, the commitment of the US leadership to not support Taiwan independence.” Apply seriously,” she said.
He said the US should handle Taiwan-related issues wisely and properly and avoid sending false signals to Taiwan’s independence forces to prevent further damage to Sino-US relations and peace and stability along the Taiwan Strait .
Taiwan responded to President Biden’s remarks on Monday by welcoming “the US government’s solid security commitment to Taiwan”. Taipei said it would continue to deepen its “close security partnership” with Washington.
Earlier this month, the US agreed to sell weapons worth USD 1.1 billion to Taiwan to boost its defense capabilities, which angered Beijing.
US-China differences over Taiwan have escalated in recent months when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, becoming the first top US official to visit the self-governing island in 25 years.
In addition to diplomatic protests, China went ballistic on its visit to launch massive air, naval and missile exercises close to Twain for more than a week in August, raising concerns that Beijing was preparing to invade the island. was.
Biden’s remarks that the US is not against the use of force jeopardize Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s outspoken plans for national integration.
Taiwan’s integration with the Chinese mainland is Xi’s key political issue, widely expected to win an unprecedented third term at the ruling Communist Party of China’s five-year congress. CPC).